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Lalpura expelled from Akali Dal

Senior Akali Dal (Badal) leader and legislator Prem Singh Lalpura was on Wednesday expelled from the party for refusing to take oath as a Lok Sabha member.

The decision was taken at the party's political affairs committee meeting, held under the chairmanship of Punjab Chief Minister and Akali Dal (Badal) president Parkash Singh Badal.

Lalpura violated party discipline at a crucial juncture when the vote of every MP mattered during Prime Minister A B Vajpayee's vote of confidence, Badal said.

Party general secretary Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa said Lalpura's explanation for not taking his oath as a Lok Sabha member was not found convincing.

The decision was unanimous at the meeting, which was attended by 10 of its 12 members, Dhindsa said.

Lalpura was elected to the Lok Sabha from the Tarn Taran constituency in Amritsar district.

Dhindsa said the legislator had sent his explanation to the committee through a messenger. He stated the voters of his constituency wanted him to retain his assembly seat.

The general secretary said a four-member delegation had called on Lalpura and urged him to resign his assembly seat and take his oath as a Lok Sabha member. He said Lalpura should have resigned from the assembly on moral grounds after failing to abide by the party's directive.

The party would shortly inform the assembly speaker about Lalpura's expulsion. Dhindsa added that the legislator should seek a fresh mandate and that his loss would not affect the Akali Dal in any way.

UNI

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